Clients

CDS was created to ensure that cooperatives and groups that wanted to start cooperatives had access to sound business development guidance. Over the past 25 years, CDS has provided a wide range of services to cooperatives, producer-owned businesses, nonprofits, universities, and governmental clients.

In keeping with our mission to promote cooperative and sustainable development, we focus our work on projects that are intended to benefit clients that are:

Cooperatives

Members of cooperatives or credit unions

Groups that want to form a cooperative

LLCs or group-owned businesses that operate under cooperative principles or that leverage cooperation as a business advantage

Not cooperatives, but are sponsored by a cooperative

In each case, our intention is to provide high quality business and organizational developmental assistance that will help our clients advance their businesses.

Featured Projects

﻿In 2011, they hired Cooperative Development Services (CDS) to conduct a Feasibility Study determining the technical, marketing, and financial feasibility of processing conventional and organic soybeans into meal and oil. “We were told by other companies that our idea wasn’t feasible and didn’t make sense because we were competing against larger companies,” Nelson explained. “The CDS feasibility study showed it wasn’t true. Our approach was found to be feasible and it’s working just fine.” CDS then developed a Business Plan for the extrusion operation identifying markets, competitors, sales strategies, and financial projections.

Testimonials

"CDS is the go-to trusted organization in
Minnesota and the Upper Midwest for business planning, feasibility studies,
marketing plans and other services needed for the long-term success of our
rural cooperatives. We consistently refer clients to CDS for business
development assistance with full confidence that they will receive personalized
and objective support."

- Dr. Mary Hanks, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

CDS is a nonprofit organization created and governed by the cooperative community of the Upper Midwest.